Pruitt’s personal 24/7 security topped $3.5 million in just one year

Newly released documents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have revealed just how pricey Administrator Scott Pruitt’s security team is. In his first year in office, the agency spent $3.5 million in taxpayer dollars on Pruitt's personal security—nearly double the average of his two most recent predecessors. The total includes salaries, in addition to expensive airfare for now-notorious trips, such as last June’s extravagant tour of Italy. According to earlier reports, Pruitt requested around-the-clock security on day one for what he considered heightened security concerns. (Those concerns, such as a postcard sent to Pruitt stating, "CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL!!!" were found to not be particularly credible or threatening.) Pruitt’s no-so-thrifty habits have been at the center of escalating ethics controversies over the past two months, during which time Pruitt has rolled back environmental safeguards and, with no sense of irony, touted efficiency and budget-trimming.